


Adamant Images

by dark40rcehan



Category: Saiyuki, Saiyuki Gaiden
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-18 11:45:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11873679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dark40rcehan/pseuds/dark40rcehan
Summary: The Goddess of Flowers was never remembered by who she was, but by those around her. She was the sister of the Western Dragon-King, Konzen Douji's childhood playmate, and naught much else. Only a few remembered that she was the one who made the sakura in Heaven blossom, that she was responsible for the growth and harvests of all plant life in the Lower Realms. Yet, when disaster struck and evil fell, no one noticed the cries of her pain and her anguish. She had let it happen to her once before, but not now. She would challenge Fate with her own hands, just like how those four idiots tried to so long ago.





	1. Chapter 1

There was a strange thing on the desk that he had always studied on. It was white, long and snakelike, winged with the bluest eyes. But the strangest thing was, when it opened its eyes, a flower appeared in front of it.

"Kyuu?" that strange thing seemed to ask, grabbing the stem of the flower by the mouth, as if it was offering it to him. "Kyuu!"

Yet, Konzen Douji seemed unmoved. He took the flower into his hand, inspected it and said, "Maybe it will look better if the center was a little less… green." There was nothing wrong with the flower, he thought, he just felt that a change in tone would make it even prettier. 

"Kyuu!" the thing harrumphed, but acquiesced to his suggestion. The flower was now yellow with a paler green center.

Konzen could not help but break into a smile. "That's more like it," he said.

The thing seemed happy, as it was spreading its wings and cooing in delight. It then decided to fly towards him and land on his head, which must have seemed like the perfect perch for it.

"Oi! Ahou! Get down from there!" Konzen scolded. "My head is not a toy!"

"Kyuu!"

"Ah, so you have met Ryurei-hime, Konzen," said a familiar voice from behind him. It was his aunt, Kanzeon Bosatsu. The ever-worshipped Goddess of Mercy, she was one of the five Bodhisattvas that lived in heaven, second only to Sakyamuni Tathagata. To Konzen though, she was the annoying aunt that never seemed to stop meddling in his life.

"Hi…me?" Konzen repeated. "This… thing is a princess?" he asked, gesturing at the thing that was still perched happily on his neck.

"Yes, she is," Kazeon Bosatsu answered. "She is Ryurei, Dragon-Princess of the Western Seas, the daughter of the current Toushin Taishi. She will be visiting us for two weeks, and the Dragon-Queen hoped that you would show her daughter the best hospitality you can give."

Konzen looked up at Kanzeon Bosatsu quizzically. "So… she's our guest?" he asked her.

"Yes, and soon, I will send you to the Western Seas to be a guest too," Kanzeon Bosatsu. "Ryurei's parents decided that it would be best that the two of you got to know each other. The two of you are more or less the same age, from families of the same greatness, after all."

Konzen grimaced. "What... do you mean?" He asked his aunt. "Don't tell me that you're going to want us to get... married, right?" That was the way in Heaven, families whose standing were similar would betroth their children to one another, to provide each other security. The higher the standing of the bride and groom, the better the match. The thought was not foreign to him, he just didn't think that his aunt would even think of a match for him so soon.

"Oh, not at all," Kanzeon Bosatsu reassured her nephew. "It is purely so the two of you can become friends. So, your lives will not be as boring."

"Kyuu!"

"See? Ryurei agrees. Now, run along and play. I have lots of work to do."

Konzen saw no reason to retort, so he went on his way, the little Dragon-Princess still perched on his head, chirping happily.

"Aren't you glad that the children are taking so well to each other?" Jiroushin asked Kanzeon Bosatsu, heaving a sigh of relief. "The Dragon-Queen was worried that Ryurei-hime might be too shy to play with Konzen-sama." 

"They are good kids," Kanzeon Bosatsu mused. "The bond has been established. All we have to do left is to see what kind of interesting things they will come up with." The very fact that Ryurei could summon flowers into being, even when she was still little more than a hatchling as astonishing. There was no doubt that she would be a powerful being in the far future, given who her parents were. Her father, a Dragon-King and the current Toushin Taishi, and her mother whose linage so secret that their powers were passed only from mother to daughter. 

"The Dragon-Queen must be relieved that at least, Ryurei-hime would have some form of sanctuary in case anything happens," Jiroushin added.

This statement from her ever-loyal advisor made Kanzeon Bosatsu pause. There was a fair reason why Ryurei visited them first, at such a young age. The Dragons were embroiled in a conflict of their own. Assigned as rulers of the seas in each cardinal direction, they were also selected to be the Toushin Taishi by turns. However, there was rumor that one of the Dragon-Kings, the Dragon-King of the East wanted to seek total control of the seas and Ryurei's father, the Western Dragon-King was tasked to quell any form of insecurity in the seas as Toushin. This mandate, given to him by the Jade Emperor, made the Eastern Dragon-King even angrier, because it implied that the Western Dragon-King was higher in ranking than all their compatriots.

Thus, Ryurei was there to wait out the storm, as her father made sure that the Western Seas were still a safe place for his daughter to remain. The child did not know what peril her home would experience in the near future, nor did she need to know. At that point in time, all she needed was to grow up in her own pace, surrounded by as much light as Fate could afford her. 

"Hey, stop pulling my hair!" Konzen was heard shouting at Ryurei, who seemed to be flying, right outside a nearby window. "Come back here, ahou!" 

Ryurei's eyes narrowed. She didn't like being called an imbecile, and thus, opened her little jaws and roared. As she uttered the smallest roar, a small ball of fire emerged and singed at least three golden hairs on Konzen's head.

"Come back here, ahou!" Konzen yelled. "Stop taking my hairs off my head!" 

"Kyuu!" Ryurei menaced. "Kyuuu!"

"I don't know what you're saying! Talk like a real person, why don't you?"

"KYUUU!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAN: This fic was formerly known as Golden Dreams in FF.net, an old Saiyuki fic I dabbled with mainly because I wanted to play with the Saiyuki Gaiden material. Now that Saiyuki Reload Blast is out and it also touches a bit of Gaiden, I had some inspiration to rewrite my old story to give it a little more body! 
> 
> Please do be patient with me, this old soul is out of practice, but I still have a lot of kick in me! Do drop a comment if you have any suggestions or just want to say "hi!"!


	2. Meetings

No one remembered when the sakura trees in Heaven started to blossom, but Konzen Douji remembered it well. It was the day Ryurei ascended to Heaven with her brother, just several decades after she had shed her dragon-form, no longer a child, yet not yet a full-grown adult.

It was the day after the Dragon-wars ended, the Dragon-wars that orphaned Ryurei and her brother, Goujun. The seas that roared and rolled during the war had been calmed, but at a great price, which came in the form of the lives of their parents. Their father was killed by the Eastern Dragon-King, protecting their mother, while Goujun had killed the villain in retaliation. That was all Ryurei told Konzen that she had remembered, because she had blacked out just after her father was cut in two. All that she remembered was Kanzeon Bosatsu cradling her in her arms. That was what she told him.

But what Konzen remembered from the day she came up to Heaven with her brother was celebrated with great fanfare. Heaven was celebrating the calming of the seas, and the eradication of a great evil. He remembered how finely they had dressed Ryurei and Goujun, and made them walk a great red carpet that led them right to the Heavenly Palace.

It was the first time anyone had seen Ryurei in that form. She tall for her age, her eyes sapphire, as blue as the sea, her hair golden like the sun. There was a rose-shaped chakra on the center of her forehead, one that revealed to all her station and power.

"The court welcomes the new Dragon-King of the Western Seas, Goujun and Ryurei-hime, the Goddess of Flowers," the Jade Emperor proclaimed when both brother and sister knelt before him. "May your days in the service of Heaven be fruitful."

"We thank Your Majesty greatly," the siblings said in unison. There were whispers that it was telling of the discipline that their late father had imbued in them.

"The court also grieves for the passing of your honored parents and the rest of your kind," the Jade Emperor added, his voice softening in the light of his words. "Their sacrifice will never be in vain."

When they were allowed to stand, Ryurei stood and without saying anything, she waved her hand. Within an instant, the once-green sakura trees that lined every street in heaven blossomed all at once. It was a sight that astounded many, even the Jade Emperor himself.

"Ryurei-hime… explain," the Jade Emperor ordered.

It took Ryurei a few seconds to recover. "For…forgive me, Your Majesty," she said, immediately bowing her head low. "I… didn't know what I was doing."

However, the Jade Emperor smiled. "They are beautiful, child," he said, petting her head. "Now that you have made the sakura blossom in Heaven, you must remember that this is your home from now on."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Ryurei said, with an expression on her face that not many could read. Konzen did not understand it either, but his aunt had an idea.

"What a beautiful face," Kanzeon Bosatsu commented. "She will drive many men crazy with that face. With such a pained expression, too… who would be able to withstand her charms?" Such a great show of power at such a young age, and even though she seemed a little fazed by that show, her power would only increase in time.

"Come, now, we are here to celebrate the peace that has finally arrived to the seas," the Jade Emperor said, "Let us be rid of those long faces."

At that moment, Ryurei smiled. A lotus flower appeared in her hand, and she gave it to the Jade Emperor. "Your Majesty, the sakura blossoms… they might be beautiful to look at, but they will fall from their boughs should any evil come to Heaven."

They might have been the mere words of a child at that time, but everyone knew that it was a serious prophecy. They did not appear to take it to heart, but Konzen could see the archivists of Heaven rushing up and down to record what had just happened.

When the festivities started, Konzen was the first to approach Ryurei. He was sure that she had smiled then. "Konzen!" she called towards him, waving her arms happily. "How have you been? I missed you!"

"It's been… boring," Konzen replied. Even as a child he was sardonic in manner, but Ryurei had been used to it. "But you look… nice. It's good to see you actually walking for once."

Ryurei clicked her tongue. "That's mean of you, Konzen," she harrumphed. "I thought you liked having me perched on top of your head."

"Ahou! Do you know how heavy you are?" Konzen retorted, hitting her head with a harisen.

"Ahou! How weak could you be that you couldn't stand to have me on your head?" Ryurei retorted through gritted teeth. "I have stood for your constant bullying for  _decades_  and now that I can finally walk and talk, this is how you treat me?"

"Bullying? Ahou! You were constantly pulling my hair out!" Konzen returned.

They would not have stopped until Goujun turned towards his sister when her back was turned towards Konzen in mock-anger. "Ryurei, come," he said to her. His voice was stern to outsiders, but Ryurei knew that it was all for show. Her brother loved her dearly, so much so that he had doted upon her, but before all others, he was now a military commander of the Heavenly Armies, and meant to show that. Already a man grown, he had witness enough of the bloodshed and carnage that was brought along by the Dragon-wars, and to honor his and their father's efforts in bringing peace to the seas, he was now given command of the Heavenly Western Army.

Thus, begun Ryurei's days in the Heavenly Realms. Those bittersweet days that saw the beginning of their days of their godly duties, those days that stung due to their sudden status as orphans. Yet, as the days passed, Ryurei and Goujun became stronger in their own ways.

Ever strict and fair, Goujun became known as a stalwart commander, respected by all and questioned by none. Ryurei, on the other hand, eased into her duties rather splendidly. The harvests have never been better since she was made the Goddess of Flowers, the people in the Lower Realms were content and well-fed. With enough food to go around, they were happy and thanked the Gods in droves.

It so happened that Konzen was responsible for several mundane tasks in Heaven. Mostly, it was related to the prayers gathered from the many temples dedicated to his aunt's honor. Those working below him would sort through any prayers that would be granted and he would have the final say if they would be granted or not. Due to the fact that Kanzeon Bosatsu was merciful, most of the prayers were granted and thus, Konzen's work usually involved him stamping his official stamp on every one of them. It was mind-numbingly boring work.

However, it was due to this very nature of his work that he came to work closely with Ryurei. Most of the time, the people of the Lower Realms would pray for things like better harvests or having more food. Thus, he would remind Ryurei on which territories needed what kinds of harvests and she would then act on his advice. This collaboration then moved on from crops to the designs of flowers, just because Konzen had an excellent eye for beauty and thus, Ryurei would often work on his suggestions. Only the flowers which he had approved would be planted in the Lower Realms.

Thus, a rhythm was established. Both Ryurei and Goujun settled into their roles, earning the respect and love of their fellow Gods. There came a time when even the memories of the Dragon-wars had faded. Things in Heaven became so boring again, so mundane that Konzen had sworn that his brain would melt.

"You never change, Konzen," a tall, lanky man chuckled. Bespectacled, with a willing smile, his name was Tenpou. He knew Konzen during the time of the Dragon-wars, when he had just joined the Western Army. Due to the promixity of Konzen's office and the barracks of the Western Army, and the similarity in design, he had mistakenly wandered into Konzen's office, and the two of them had never stopped talking since.

"Feh," was Konzen's simple answer.

"KONZEN DOUJI!"

A shrill female voice immediately filled the room. "What is taking you so long! I've sent a rose up to you  _two days ago_  and I've heard nothing from you!"

Tenpou turned around to see a woman whose skin was fairer than the clouds, golden-haired with eyes of sapphire. Dressed in lilacs and lavenders, she even had a katana that she kept in a snakeskin sheath tied onto her belt with a bejeweled chain.

"Ahou! What rose are you talking about?" Konzen spat. "You didn't send me anything!"

"Then what about the one in your ink-pot?"

At that moment, both Tenpou and Konzen's eyes moved towards the ink-pot that was mentioned, where there  _was_ a rose. Its petals were now black as night, as a result of being exposed to ink for two days. Ryurei was livid. Her nostrils flared and Konzen was prepared for any eventuality that would follow.

"That rose was meant to be orange!" she practically shouted, but Konzen threw his harisen at her, which she evaded with just a side-step. "Ahou! I told you that I was going to plant it in the western parts of the Lower Realms!"

If anything, the exchance made Tenpou burst in laughter. He had never seen anything so funny in his life before. His laughter actually made the two of them stop and look towards him.

"What's so funny?"

The two of them spoke in unison and moved their attentions towards him. The ice in their eyes was thick enough to cut the silence that ensued.

"I've never seen Kozen so worked up before," Tenpou explained. He walked towards Konzen's desk and retrieved the rose in question. "It is very beautiful though, even if it's black all over. You must be very proud of yourself, Ryurei-hime. Forgive me, I did not recognize you when you came in. I only knew who you were from your… conversation with Konzen."

Those words made Ryurei pause. It was only then when she started to have a proper look at him. She could see through his smudged spectacles that his eyes were dark green, almost resembling emeralds. For whatever reason, she looked at him and smiled.

"If you like it, it is yours," she proclaimed. "What is your name?"

"I'm Tenpou, Ryurei-hime," he said, oozing with politeness. "I am currently a sergeant in the Western Army." He knew that Goujun, the commander of the Western Armies had a sister, he knew that Ryurei was the Goddess of Flowers, but what he did not know was how… as clichéd at it sounded… how beautiful she was. Konzen's hair seemed dull in comparison to hers, and already it was the envy of many a God and Goddess. Her eyes, those sapphire eyes, made him want to look at them again and again. It was then when he realized that her pupils were vertical, just like that of a cat's, a sign that she was unmistakably a Dragon.

"Well then, Tenpou Gunso, I wish you a good day," Ryurei said with a smile. "Konzen, if you would excuse me, I will return with another flower later and you  _will_  see to it that you attend to it properly."

"Tch, suit yourself," Konzen harrumphed, watching Tenpou closely as Ryurei left his office. "Oi, snap out of it, Tenpou!"

Within seconds, Tenpou regained his composure. "Forgive me, I just… never saw anyone like her before," he said.

"Well you should have, Ryurei often goes to your barracks to spar with the Dragon-King," Konzen explained. "Apparently, she's a pretty good fighter."

"It's a shame that I would not be able to see that any time soon," Tenpou sighed. "Goujun usually trains privately in the gym at night."

"Huh," Konzen acknowledged. Despite the fact that he knew Ryurei since childhood, he had never properly interacted with Goujun before. He was sure that he had even met their mother before, during one of Ryurei's visits to the Heavenly Realms before the Dragon-wars.

Tenpou then looked at the blacked rose. There was an untold amount of power that he could sense just by holding it. A great amount of Ki was needed to even bring so small a thing to life, much less populate all of the Lower Realms with them. He realized that there was certainly more to Ryurei that her beauty.

"She sure seems… intriguing," Tenpou said. "Has she always sent you flowers to approve before planting them?"

"Yes," Konzen replied. "She's been doing that ever since she first came here to visit. Why do you ask?"

"You're making every man jealous here, Konzen," Tenpou teased. "Surely, every God here would kill to have flowers sent to you by the Goddess of Flowers."

"If you ever wanted one, you can have them, like that rose she just gave you. All she does is give me more paperwork to do."

Tenpou chuckled. He found the dynamic between Konzen and Ryurei to be highly interesting. "Oh, I would not ever presume to ask such a mighty gift from you, Konzen, imagine what scandal it would create," he said, knowing that Konzen knew better than to use his harisen on him.

Konzen harrumphed and went back to his endless pile of documents, a sign that the conversation has ended. Tenpou waved him off and started walking back towards the Western Army's barracks, towards room he shared with three other soldiers.

"Where did you get that rose from, soldier?"

Tenpou had forgotten that his way back from Konzen's would bring him right in front of Goujun's office, and it so happened that the Dragon-King had just emerged from the door. He knew that there was no fooling Goujun.

"It was a gift from Ryurei-hime, Commander," Tenpou clarified with a smile. "It was supposed to be orange, but Konzen dropped it into his ink-pot and made it black."

Goujun raised an eyebrow. "So, you know Konzen Douji as well?" he asked.

"Yes, Commander, we've been friends for a long time now."

"Carry on then."

"Yes, Commander."

Goujun watched Tenpou as he slowly made his way back to his room. He knew who he was alright, that bright sergeant who was cold and efficient upon the battlefield. Just looking at his past records alone, he knew that Tenpou's rise in the military was only a matter of time. Yet, for Ryurei to give him a rose so suddenly, he must have had some qualities that were known only to her.

"I saw that black rose that you gave to Tenpou Gunso," Goujun told his sister over dinner when he had returned to their home, a pavilion near the Heavenly Palace.

"He was rather… interesting, and since he asked for it, I had no reason to refuse him," Ryurei answered. "That idiot, Konzen though…"

Goujun made special effort to observe his sister, noting a smile that he had never seen before. "Ryurei, Tenpou has no family backing, nor does he have any standing…"

"Onii-sama, I've only just met him," Ryurei huffed. "Even so, what does it matter that he doesn't have a powerful family?"

"Tongues will wag, Ryurei," he said. "I would advise caution."

"You assume too much, Onii-sama," Ryurei countered, her cheeks evidently getting redder by the second. She did not believe Goujun's words. How could he even imagine anything happening when she had only met Tenpou for the first time?

Goujun only shook his head in defeat. To all outsiders, he was the Dragon-king, strict and well-respect, but at home, the one who ran the household was Ryurei. "Humor me, Ryurei, every two weeks I receive proposals for your hand and every time you've rejected them without even hearing them out."

"Those idiots that come to you every two weeks are only using me to get to you," Ryurei huffed.

"How do you know that Tenpou is not the same as they are?"

"Because… Tenpou laughed his head off while Konzen and I were arguing," Ryurei said, her voice rather distant as she recounted what had happened in the morning. "Anyone else would have cowered in fear."

It was true. They called themselves Gods, but spineless rats existed everywhere. Those that lived in Heaven were absolutely obsessed with power. They feared those with power and were jealous of them at the same time. Any simple person could have groveled and withered away, but Tenpou stood and embraced the hilarity of the situation.

"Hmm, we shall see about this," Goujun said. "All the same, Ryurei, understand that I would never dare to presume how you should make your own decisions. I just want to see you live a happy life."

"I understand, Onii-sama," Ryurei replied. If Goujun had been any other brother, he would have already married her off to some aristocrat and be done with it. But all he had given her was freedom. As the Goddess of Flowers, he had even helped her to gain a special dispensation to use the Space Gate to descend into the Lower Realms to carry out her duties, a priviledge afforded to only a few in Heaven, save for those in the military.

Goujun nodded and they continued to eat.

Theirs was a simple dinner, one of rice, vegetables and a chicken that she had steamed. Although the Gods were vegetarian, they were Dragons and were thus carnivorous in nature. Yet another dispensation had been given to them to eat meat as long as they were discreet and Ryurei would buy poultry and meat from the markets in the Lower Realms whenever she could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAN: Hello, I'm back with the official first chapter of the fic! I plan to take this one slowly across the events of Saiyuki Gaiden as a start, and let's see where we go from there! Do you have any suggestions?


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